Visiting New York and Washington
 

Your "must sees" might be different than mine. This written, we live in the metropolitan D.C. area, and whenever we have friends or family visiting for long weekends I offer a few guidelines. In short, some research will be necessary on your part.

• Pick 2 Smithsonain museums, no more, to tour in one day. The National Museum of African-America History can take the better part of a day, as can the National Gallery. The National Museum of the American Indian can take quite a while, too. With the Smithsonians you can select galleries of interest.
• Select a hidden gem: The Phillips Collection (first modern art museum in the U.S.); Hillwood Estate; Dumbarton Oaks all come to mind.
• Walk around the monuments at night.
• Eat at Old Ebbit Grill, particularly the oysters. (Make reservations.)
• Tour the Library of Congress

I must admit that I'm not a fan of the Old Ebbitt Grill, but think fourfortravel has given some otherwise very solid advice.

Most museums in DC close at 5 or 5:30 p.m. The Library of Congress is open until 8 p.m. every Thursday and sometimes has special events on those evenings; no need to take a tour. And the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum (which are in the same building) are open every day until 7 p.m.

I think you would benefit greatly from a guidebook or two.

Neither NY or Washington are cheap places for hotels, so be prepared and October is a popular time of year to visit - past the heat and humidity of the summer but before the clocks change and it gets dark early and can become chilly. That said there is a lot to see and do in both places and a lot that is either free or inexpensive. The museums and monuments in DC are free as is strolling around outside. If I recall, the Capital is likely free as is the National Archives with the founding documents and a very good museum with changing exhibits.

In NY, the High Line is free to walk as is Central Park, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Some museums have free nights on different days of the week. The Staten Island Ferry is now I believe free. The 9/11 Memorial is free but not the Museum.

Of course all of this is dependent on your interest. If interested in seeing a show in NY, I recommend either the Today Tix app or the discount TKTS booth in Times Square.

Just to be clear: The SMITHSONIAN museums in DC are free. Private museums (such as the Phillips, Dumbarton Oaks, and Hillwood, mentioned above) are not free.

:lol:

OEG is a stalwart in our take-visiting-friends-and-family-into-DC for 30+ years, just like Dante's in Great Falls.

Dennis (are you an Aussie??, hence the relatively cheap question??)
I was in NYC in 2022 and did Washington for 3 nights. I am from Australia and while researching Washington DC I thought I would be able to visit multiple Smithsonian museums. Wrong. Everything in DC is massive, and getting from one musueum to the next is exhausting. By the time you walk there you do not have the energy to do the actual visit. Although I should have planned better.
It is really easy to take the Amtrak from Penn station in NYC to DC.

as to hotels, you really need to use something like Bookings.com and plug in your budget. Both cities are super expensive. nowhere is cheap. In NYC the subway is super easy to get around to all the sites.

Yes I of course meant to say that the Smithsonian hotels are free. We also enjoy the Ebbitt Grill as a Washington landmark destination but haven't been there since the pandemic possibly it has declined.

Yes as well Amtrak between NY and Washington as easy, pleasant and both stations are centrally located.

"We also enjoy the Ebbitt Grill as a Washington landmark destination but haven't been there since the pandemic possibly it has declined."

OEG is still going strong. Have dined there several times since returning to D.C. in 2019 and their standards are still high.

Actually Dumbarton Oaks is free, the grounds and the museum.

if you have to return to NYC for a flight, I would skip DC and spend the week in NYC.

I like the Lower East side area, or the Village, for a hotel location. Most people stay Chelsea or Times Square, mostly tourists and business people here. It’s nice to stay in residential areas of town.

The museum (which, IMO, is excellent) is free. Reserved tickets for the garden are generally required and, while free in the winter, cost $15.
https://www.doaks.org/visit/plan

IME, it's always best to check the web-site of anything that interests you.

Well, the Dumbarton Oaks grounds were free last November. I see they are now charging for November 2025.

Without a car it’s hard to get to.

It's near at least one bus stop, can be reached by taxi / uber / etc., and -- for some -- would be within reasonable walking distance of a metro stop. If the OP is interested, I'm sure s/he can find how to get there. For public transportation in DC, wmata.com has a trip planner.

DennisA, are you a US citizen? If so, check your Senator and Congressperson's websites as they will likely have information about how to get tickets to the White House, Senate and other places that may interest you. Our previous Senator used to host a light breakfast and her aides would then give tours of the Capitol building.

There is a lot to do in both New York and Washington, DC and a good guide book will help you pick and choose your "must do" list.

Thanks all for your prompt response, much appreciated. Got some really good information. I am from Australia (for those who asked the question).

Old Ebbitt Grill in DC is loud and crowded, with average food. I find it unpleasant. For many, it's average-ness is the drawing card. If you go, just realize that OEG serves more meals than any other restaurant in the United States. it is supposedly historic, though it is not in its original location.

My #1 tip is to go to the monuments at night. Particularly amazing at night is the FDR memorial, the Korean War memorial, WWII, and the Air Force Memorial near the Pentagon. At any monument, if you see a National Park Service Ranger, then can give you an impromptu tour on the spot. They are tremendously knowledgeable.

Nothing in the DC area is difficult to get to. Either public transportation or hopping in an Uber or Lyft is easy, and four people sharing makes a car hire service a good alternative for people on a time crunch.

If you are in DC on a Thursday night, Library of Congress is open and has free cultural events, though you may have to reserve. The LOC is an outstanding place to visit and the interior is purposely designed to look like a palace. It is stunning. Almost every night, the Kennedy Center has free performances at 6pm. The program is called Millenium Stage and you should reserve in advance. I think reservations open up 2 weeks in advance, but check.

The ;Millenium Stage is in the Kennedy Center's lobby. Reservations would allow seating in the area nearest the stage, but as rule, any one in the lobby can hear the performance-- no reservations are needed for that.

Visit to Washington and New York in September
 

We have now finalized our trips to Washington (3 days) and New York (4 days) in September. Please suggest one or two good museums to visit in these cities. Secondly, for travelling in the NY subway, is it recommended to buy 4 metrocards (one for each of us) ? We will be staying in the Manhattan area. Your suggestions would be appreciated.

New York uses tap pay with credit card so don’t buy any different card, been that way for years. Will need a credit card for each person though, else buy OMNY card for additional people.

Most famous museum in NY probably the Metropolitan Museum of Art, takes about 10 hours to see everything.

I think you are being misled by locals, transit systems in DC work poorly for tourists, it’s a hard city to go from tourist site to tourist site. Lots of walking, allow up to an hour to walk from Capitol to Lincoln Memorial (going by metro likely would take longer). Last time I checked the Mall circulator bus was discontinued and that was the only reasonable tourist option. This is a case where an expensive hop on hop off bus ticket may be worth the money.

In New York you should go see the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. It is all done by guided walking tour only, you must reserve well in advance as they sell out for every tour. It is unique to NYC.